In conventional communication networks, wireless phones and wire line phones are handled by different systems. Wireless phones are handled by wireless carriers and wire line phones are handled by local telephone companies. Long distance calls are sometimes handled by long distance service providers. This is a difficult scenario for users of both wireless and wire line phones, as they must deal with several service providers, several telephone numbers, and usually must pay a premium for use of multiple service providers. Another disadvantage is the separate distribution of call records in both systems.
A conventional telecommunications network is illustrated in FIG. 1. Mobile handset 1 communicates via wireless connection with base station 4. Base station 4 is connected to base station controller 5 via a dedicated line which forwards calls to mobile switching center 6. Switching center 6 routes calls to public switched telephone network (PSTN) 3. Hence, mobile handset 1 is able to reach any phone connected to PSTN 3. Wire line telephone 2 is also linked to PSTN 3. Even should wire line telephone 2 and mobile handset 1 belong to the same user, they will have different telephone numbers.
Some VoIP (Voice Over IP) providers offer IP telephones that are linked through the Internet to a VoIP gateway, as a substitute for an existing wire line phone. As an option the subscriber terminal can be an analog telephone adapter (ATA) with an analog interface so that standard analog phones can be connected to it. The ATA converts signals into VoIP messages and sends them through the Internet to the VoIP gateway.
U.S. application Ser. No. 10/280,733, filed Oct. 25, 2002 and having common assignee, proposes a potable, low power base station configured to convey wireless traffic between a mobile base station and a conventional wireless network via the Internet. The base station may be referred to as a “personal” or “Internet” base station (“iBS”), and is configured to connect to the Internet at a user-selected location and establishes a small area of wireless coverage within a greater macrocell network. The user sets the operating parameters of the base station. Here also, however, is a separation of mobile services and landline services. U.S. application Ser. No. 10/280,733 is incorporated by reference, and its subject matter has been published in corresponding International Publication No. WO 2004/040938.
U.S. application Ser. No. 10/264,463, filed on Oct. 3, 2002 and having common assignee, suggests use of a wireless local loop for connection of a landline telephone. The communications interface device or “homekit” of this application provides an interface between a mobile network and a land line phone. The homekit, however, is essentially a modified mobile with an RJ-11 output and uses costly wireless resources. U.S. application Ser. No. 10/264,463, published under publication no. US 2003/0134630 A1, is incorporated by reference.